R
ockwell Museum Executive Director Brian Lee Whisenhunt was introduced as the Museum Association of New York (MANY) Board President in April 2022, along with six newly elected board members.
Brian first joined MANY in April 2018 and has served as Program Chair and Vice President. He previously served on the board of the Mountain-Plains Museums Association and also currently serves on the Museum Advisory Council of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute.
“Working for the betterment of my community, whether the city in which I live or the professional group with whom I work, is a value I hold dear. The opportunity to serve the New York museum community as President of the Board of Directors of MANY is a charge I am thrilled to undertake and honored to perform. Working with Erika Sanger, the MANY staff and Board of Directors as we continue to address the evolving needs of New York’s museums; the ongoing challenges of the pandemic; and the work on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion within the field.” –Brian Lee Whisenhunt
The MANY Board is comprised of experienced museum professionals who represent each of the 10 REDC Districts of New York State and the wide variety of disciplines within our field. Each board member serves a three-year term and serves on one of seven committees, including membership/fundraising, governance and programming. Most recently, the Board and MANY staff planned the annual conference, held right here in Corning, NY in early April.
Brian is joined by a new Executive Committee with co-Vice Presidents Bruce Whitmarsh (Chemung County Historical Society Executive Director and previous MANY Board Treasurer) and Dr. Georgette Grier-Key (Eastville Community Historical Society Executive Director and Chief Curator), Treasurer Marissa Wigglesworth (Buffalo Museum of Science, Tifft Nature Preserve President and CEO), and Secretary Diane Shewchuk (Albany Institute of History & Art Curator).
Newly elected board members are Victoria Reisman, Beth Ann Balalaos, Joshua Ruff, Samantha Hall-Saladino, Nick Martinez, and Dr. Callie Johnson. Alexandra Drakakis, Diane Shewchuk, Marissa Wigglesworth, and Becky Wehle were re-elected to their second terms, bringing the total number of board members to 25. MANY Board members serve three-year terms and represent museums of all disciplines, budget sizes, and geographic locations as well as partner industries in New York State. Learn more about the MANY Board.
“I am looking forward to working with Brian to implement MANY’s new strategic plan, reshape board engagement, and plan for the next generation of board members. We learned so much about the value of our museum association during the pandemic and under Brian’s leadership we will be able to take the products of those lessons to advance the organization and better serve museum professionals across the state.” –MANY Executive Director Erika Sanger.
“I’m ecstatic about the skills, perspectives, experience and talent the new members of MANY’s Board of Directors brings to our association,” says Brian. “As we continue to work through the current challenges and opportunities presented to our organization as well as the institutions we serve, I appreciate the willingness of our new Directors to contribute to the success of the museum community of New York.”